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I know I’ve been pretty half-assed about recipes on here lately. I don’t promise that I’ll always get a recipe typed up (although I did manage it today) — part of what I love doing here on Island Vittles is inspiring others to put something tasty together on the fly. When you use instinct, you [...]
I know its pink colour lends it more to a Mother’s Day Dessert, but if your Dad loves gin, he’ll love this light, slushy dessert. I used this recipe, with just few adaptations, of course. First of all, I used the rhubarb leftover from my last batch of Rhubarb Gin. The gin strips all the [...]
I had never heard of a garlic scape until I moved to Pender. In fact, I’d never seen a garlic plant still in the ground until I moved here. But growing garlic is a very popular pastime here on Pender, and those with the biggest bulbs always cut away the curly-cues at the top of [...]
Guess what I’m having for breakfast? If you haven’t yet tried a cauliflower pizza crust, I’m here to tell you to jump on the bandwagon and join the crowds. Oh, you can tell it’s not a real pizza crust, but, if you’re like us, you won’t really care. It’s made with raw cauliflower, eggs and [...]
Although I don’t have a paid job on Pender anymore (aside from the odd catering gig), I still manage to do quite a bit of cooking for the masses. One of my favourite volunteer positions is as a member of the fire department’s Kitchen Crew. I cook lunch or dinner for a group of firefighters [...]
My first Spot Prawn post of the season! Shameful, really, considering the little critters have been coming out of the water for almost a month already. You should know that word on the dock on Saturday night was that there’s one, maybe two weeks left in this year’s catch. Time is running out. That schedule [...]
From Inverness, we hopped in our rental car for the three hour drive south to the village of Blackford, about twenty minutes outside of Stirling, in Perthshire. Ideally located near at least a half dozen golf courses, including Gleneagles (just a ten minute drive away), and an equal number of whisky distilleries, this unassuming area [...]
What did you have for breakfast? These buns are an IV original, and I have sold dozens and dozens over the years at the Pender Islands’ Farmers’ Market — a sweet dough, rolled with bechamel, then sliced, allowed to rise, and topped with cheese, bacon (and sometimes Tomato Jam) before being baked in the oven.
I spend more time writing than I do cooking these days. I’m more careful with my dinner planning to ensure there are leftovers so that I can have a night off at least a couple of nights a week and, despite the fact that I’m blogging about last night’s dinner, I no longer feel the [...]
One of my favourite sandwiches, and a repeat here on Island Vittles. Pan-fried, breaded eggplant, mozzarella & parmesan and red onions on an open face bun. This time, I added a couple of strips of bacon to each, and used my Roasted Tomato and Jalapeno Vinaigrette instead of a basic tomato sauce. Made a delicious [...]
What is your favourite time of day? There’s no doubt that I’m at my best first thing in the morning, directly after my first cup of coffee. The dog gets walked, a short post like this gets written, emails I’ve been putting off for days receive replies, and Howard gets a genuine snuggle before domestic [...]
Until yesterday, we hadn’t had waffles around here in years. You see, I’m prone to fits of minimization every four or five years, when I suddenly get to a point where I just can’t stand how much crap the two of us have accumulated since the last purge. Single-use items in the kitchen are the [...]
I love to travel. Adventure, new people, new experiences — they give me a rush! However, after decades of air travel, I’m putting my foot down. I refuse to eat plane food anymore. Mostly, cause it’s not food. It wasn’t always like this. The best meal I ever ate while aloft was on a Singapore Air flight from Singapore to Honolulu in the early 90′s. Somehow, my rat
Pizza was on the menu last night at Chez IV. It’s one of my favourite venues for leftovers — after all, what is pizza but flatbread, sauce and cheese? Once those basics are taken care of, you can put just about anything on top that you’d like. There was a plate full of brisket, and a bowl of it’s accompanying sauce, leftover from Saturday night and just enough mozzarel
After two days in Inverness, we left our cozy B&B to pick up the boat we hired from Caley Cruisers and began our journey down the Caledonian Canal, between Inverness and Fort William in the Scottish Highlands. If you have ever been tempted by the history, people and spectacular geography that make up the Great Glen in northern Scotland, I can’t recommend Caley and their superior fleet o
Fish & Chips is a must have on a trip to Great Britain. And while they’re served at every establishment under the English, Welsh and Scottish suns, I’m very choosy about where I order them. I have a one order per trip limit, so I try to find the best plate I can. The masterpiece you see above is from The Invergarry Hotel, located in the village of the same name, [...]
We’re just back from vacation, where we spent 2+ weeks traveling Scotland. First on a boat, journeying from Inverness to Ft. William and back again along the Caledonian Canal. From there, we drove south into Perthshire, the heart of Scotland’s golf country, and home to some world famous distilleries as well. We ended with 3 nights in Edinburgh, a city I loved even more the s
Welcome to installment three of my short snippets of fiction here on Island Vittles! This one takes us in a bit of a different direction today, but rest assured it will all come together…I just haven’t quite figured out how yet. I hope you enjoy it, as well as the Gumbo recipe. Constructive feedback is always welcome. Please feel free to leave a comment below. “Sir, Cook is dead.
You were all so kind and had such nice things to say the last time that I’m back to post another installment in my tale about a chef, her life and her food. This little story actually takes place before Stinging Nettle Saag Paneer Pizza, and gives you an insight into what Faith is like in her element: a small, steamy restaurant kitchen. Please note this story contains coarse language…
It’s the start of something new here on IV! This is the first of a number (I hope) of short stories/vignettes that I have been writing about a chef, her life and her food. I’m not sure where these are going, but I’ve been driven to try my hand at fiction for several months now, and this is my first effort. I hope you like it, and I hope you take the chance to try [...]
I’ve been hibernating. Or recharging. Perhaps even re-creating. Whatever you call it, I think the process is coming to an end. The earlier mornings and longer days of late February have my head in a Spring state of mind. It’s time to try something new with Island Vittles. I’m not quite ready to talk about exactly what I’ve been working on for the past couple of month
So, what’s your plan when it all goes down? I mean, you have a plan for when the countdown reaches 11:11:11, 12/21/12, right? Are you a plan-ahead survivor who’s been stashing canned goods in the hole you through the basement floor? Or, are you more the wait-it-out type? Maybe you’ll make a last-minute run for the hills… I’m neither. I’m more likely to get c
My family lost one of our oldest friends earlier this year. Peggy was my mom’s first roommate, and my parents’ best friend for over 60 years. To my brothers and me, she was Aunty Peggy; and as an honourary member of the family, she was a fixture around our Christmas, birthday and anniversary table from before the time I was born. A force of nature who came close to marriage twice, bu
This salad of awesomeness is my new favourite salad in the whole-wide world. And I’m not just saying that cause my BFF gave me the idea, alright? Meal starter, main course, midnight snack — this salad can do it all — it’s delicious, adaptable and, like I said, awesome. Did I mention I love it? My inspiration came from a description of a tasty appetizer served at my oldes
Look Mom, I’m in my first cookbook! It doesn’t have my name on the cover, but I am very proud to have been included in Seasonings, Flavours of the Southern Gulf Islands by Pender Island residents and friends, Andrea & David Spalding. Highlighting some of the food growers, gatherers, producers and cooks across Pender, Mayne, Galiano, Saturna and Saltspring, the recipes in Seasoning
Cauliflower puree is an example of how a side dish can really be the star of the plate. This under-utilized (in my opinion) brassica has become very popular as of late, showing up in place of potatoes in alternative versions of Shepherd’s Pie and Bangers & Mash and even replacing the flour in a pizza crust. But aside from the versatility that makes it ideal for the gluten-free, low-carb
If you’ve been around Island Vittles for a while, especially if you’re a fan of my Facebook page, you’ll probably know that I’m not a huge fan of pumpkins as an edible. Oh, I have couple of favouites — my Mom’s pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, and a pumpkin/peanut soup warms my soul — but I have to say that, as a food blogger, I’ve come to dread Octobe
This is my favourite Indian dish of all times. Apparently, I’m in good company, as Malai Kofta is a product of the Imperial kitchens of the Moghul Empire. Like many dishes from the Moghuls, it it is made from fresh ingredients, flavourful spices and finished with cream. Your average 16th C Indian didn’t eat like this. When we lived in the city, this dish was highlighted, starred an
Everything about my new favourite bread recipe is the best thing ever. The aroma coming from the oven, the soft, delicate crust encasing large pockets and a perfect crumb, as well as the contented faces of everyone who tries it while still slightly warm from the oven. As I often do, I have someone to thank for originally sending the recipe my way. This time, I am beholden to Lori, an online frie
I spent the weekend on an adventure. I flew across this great country to Toronto, and then on to Niagara Falls, to meet a group of friends from Facebook. Some in my real life thought that was a little weird, but if you knew this group of ladies like I do, you would have known it will all turn out alright. No awkwardness, no silent,shy smiles. Instead, there were screams of joy and [...]
Credit for inspiration on this one has to go to Tracey from Tasty Trix. Not to mention Frida, herself. The recipe is straight from a display at The Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City, where Tracey and her husband visited on a recent trip. In usual style, Tracey recreated the dish soon upon arriving home, and her pictures were enough to decide me right then and there. I [...]
I’m just going to come out and say it. Even if I am tooting my own horn. These here handpies are a really, really good idea. I defy any meatloaf haters out there to not fall in love Just don’t call them meatloaf until they’ve tried them. Meat pies with a cheddar cheese crust will do just fine for starters… Served with a Dark Chocolate Porter from Lighthouse [...]
You may have noticed things are starting to look a little different around here. A lot different, actually. Something happens to a blog design after a couple of years. One day it’s fine; the next day, it’s been kicked to the curb. Reasons vary, but in my case, this time, I just got tired of the old look. It was crowded, overwhelming and stale. Being me, I decided this at 11pm on
Did you know that some of your favourite foods came about by mistake? Here’s a couple of my favourite examples: While making chocolate cookies, Ruth Wakefield, owner of the Toll House Inn, discovered she was out of baker’s chocolate. She found sweetened chocolate in the pantry though, which she broke into small pieces and added to the dough. Chocolate chip cookies were born. George
What do you like with your apple pie? The choices are diverse — more goes with apple pie than pretty much any other dessert — ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce, creme anglaise, just to name a few. My family’s favourite accompaniment, a wedge of sharp cheddar, isn’t as common ...
I have a condiment problem. My bottled-sauce inventory is very much like the world’s oceans — rising and falling throughout the year, but usually in relative state of balance — not too many, not too few, but just enough. Except for the past couple of months. It’s well beyond out ...
When I ran a little giveaway a couple of weeks back, I asked everyone, in exchange for a chance to win a copy of “Poptails – 60 Boozy Treats Served on a Stick,” to tell me what they love most about Island Vittles. I didn’t have any great plans when ...
I picked a winner of Poptails by Erin Nichols late last night with the help of a Random Number Generator…and the book goes to: Kate Johnston! Congratulations Kate…I have also emailed you asking for your mailing address. I’ll send your prize as soon as I hear back.
We like boozy concoctions around here. No secret there. Rhubarb or Blueberry Gin and Watermelon Vodka just to name a few. So when I was contacted about reviewing “Poptails – 60 Boozy Treats Served on a Stick“, by Erin Nichols, I knew we were an excellent match. Erin Nichols gives ...
Gas grills mean that barbecuing isn’t just for summer anymore. I know a lot of people, in fact, that don’t cook meat in the house at all anymore — it may be that one partner is vegetarian, or as simple as the fact that they don’t like to smell last ...
It felt like time for an ice cream post. It is nearly August after all, and there has been a distinct lack of cool and tasty treats here on Island Vittles, especially compared to other years… But we haven’t had a lot of sun or warmth here this year, in ...
As a caterer, I tend to find myself with little bits of leftover this and that. It may be a small hunk of roast beef, leftover from making sandwiches, or maybe a half a loaf of bread, also from said sandwiches. Or maybe it’s a crockpot full of caramelized onions. ...
When you live on a small island, summer is an important season to the pocketbook. Many of us hold down more than one job/season, especially in the summer, in hopes of stashing away a little extra for the cold months. At this time of year, I tend to pick up ...
Happy Canada Day all! Whatever your plans today, I hope they’re relaxed, joyful and spent with friends and family. We have so much to be thankful for, living in one of the greatest countries on earth. (I’m leaving politics aside for the day.) :D I popped into the local Liquor ...
It feels like time for a wee break around here! Two blogs, big-time catering, cookbook proposals and summer guests keep a girl busy! But Howard and I didn’t move to Pender to put our heads down and blindly forge through another work day…oh, we work hard, but we also know ...
Spring is in the air on my mind. I am looking out my window at 6:30am, and the only reason it can’t possibly be February is that it’s already light out. Other than that, the diagonal rain lashing at the window speaks more of mid-winter here in our little rainforest, ...
Anyone out there looking for a cholesterol bomb they can fire up on the grill? A cheesy, meaty, slightly spicy handful that’s a little deep-fried and a little barbequed. I wouldn’t make this my everyday burger (I’d like to live past 50), but I will proudly serve them up to ...
So I have these new friends, see. And I met them on Facebook. Now before you roll your eyes and tell me to go outside to breath some fresh air and interact with real live, flesh and blood humans, I’m gonna tell you that these are real flesh and blood ...
Happy Mother’s Day! Although I’m a little late for the actual day, I like to think that any day Mom has had a long one is a good time to make her dinner. Served with a side salad, a quiche is the perfect quick, filling and fridge cleaning option for ...
Tart rhubarb on a sweet, creamy custard…all of it on a firm crust that makes this local, seasonal treat just as easy to eat from your hand as it is from a plate. (I’m going to take a second to beg your pardon right here and now.) As you’re about ...
